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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. tube — a container
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. root — of a word
  8. cap — a lid
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tear — to rip
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. tube — the underground
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cap — of ice
  17. root — of a plant
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. cap — a hat
  22. root — the cause
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. tear — from crying

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com